“You cannot do this! You have to protect me!” Miss Bingley screeched.
“And I am, except in this instance, I am protecting you from yourself. You, Caroline, are out of control and are close to ruining yourself. I will not allow that; hence, I am transporting you to Scarborough where you will live with Aunt Hildebrand who will educate you properly. Only if and when she tells meyou know how to behave like the lady you claim to be, will you be allowed back into society.” Bingley stared at his younger sister with a hard as flint look in his eyes daring her to gainsay him.
“Please no, anything but living with our aunt. You know she frightens me,” Miss Bingley begged.
“Which is the reason you will be going to her,” Bingley clarified. “She is the only one who will be able to teach you to behave like you should. It is not negotiable; we leave on Monday at first light, and until then, a footman will be outside of your door in case you get it in your head to try and run off to one of your so-called friends.”
Caroline Bingley picked up a figurine which was on the mantle above the fireplace.
“One month, Caroline,” Bingley stated calmly.
“What?” Miss Bingley demanded.
“Each time you break any items during one of your childlike tantrums, it will cost you the price of replacement, plus one month’s allowance,” Bingley bit out. “Do not test me. That reminds me, I will be deducting an additional one hundred and six pounds from your dowry along with the rest I mentioned. That is the amount you cost me in breakages at Netherfield Park.”
Miss Bingley was reeling. What had occurred with her brother since their departure early the previous day. When a footman escorted her to her bedchamber, she went meekly.
“Charles, what about the estate?” Mrs Hurst asked.
“I met the landlord not long after all of you departed…” Bingley explained the options he had been offered, what he had chosen, and why.
“Well done, Bingley,” Hurst responded. “Louisa and I will not repine your younger sister’s removal from our household. She already slapped one of the maids in the short time since we arrived home.”
“The days of fobbing my responsibility for her onto you two are over,” Bingley vowed.
“I am very proud of you, Charles. I know none of this has been easy for you. Did you send a letter to our aunt, so she knows to expect you, or would you like me to write it for you?” Mrs Hurst enquired.
“Thank you, Lulu, I would appreciate you writing it. That is one more thing I need to work on; there is no reason my script should look like a child’s,” Bingley stated.
Soon enough the letter was ready, and after providing a footman with coins enough, the man was sent to engage an express rider. As Bingley and his younger sister would only depart on Monday, the express should reach Aunt Hildebrand at least three days before them.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Uncle Henry, there is no good reason for the men to sleep at the dower house,” Elizabeth reasoned. “Richard and Albert are unofficially courting ladies not resident at Netherfield Park.”
“What of Jane and Andrew?” Felicity asked with an arched eyebrow.
“They are just friends,” Elizabeth claimed.
“You mean like you and young William?” Henry challenged. “You two seem to spend much time together.”
“Uncle Henry, I have just met him!” Elizabeth objected.
“Methinks the lady doth protest too much,” Felicity teased. By Lizzy’s blush, Felicity knew she had been very close to the truth.
“The four younger men reside in this estate’s dower house, I am positive they will not be here from morning until they go to sleep,” Henry predicted. “Unless Elli and Charlotte are with us. We already do not see Richard and Albert.”
Elizabeth knew when Uncle Henry had made up hismind, and she could hear it in his voice. She did not know if anything would come of it, but in the short time she had known William Darcy, she had begun to feel an attraction to him. Even Anna had made a comment about how she would love to gain sisters.
While the rest of the packing for the move to the manor house was completed, Elizabeth did not protest again.
Chapter 31
Felicity stepped back and allowed Fanny to be the mistress of Netherfield Park once they had moved in and the men who had been resident moved to the dower house. As she neared the age of nine and seventy, it was as much for herself as wanting Fanny to feel like she was of use that had caused Felicity to make the decision.
Henry, of course, understood why Fee did what she did. He was more than six years her junior, and yet his aches and pains combined with his slowing down more and more gave him the insight he needed to see that Fee’s decision was a very prudent one.
Without the spectre of Thomas Bennet and his desire to manipulate those around him for his own selfish desires, life for the Bennet and Taylor families was far better.
